Symplocarpus foetidus (closer to bulbous than cardamine)
Steve Marak (Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:53:00 PDT)
Ellen,
One of my favorite North American aroids, though they don't grow this
far south and west (NW Arkansas). I'd love to see any pictures you get
of the natural variation in the plants.
I've tried growing Lysichiton, the western skunk cabbage. Fine in the
winter, but just wouldn't take our summers. (My source was a friend in
the Pacific NW, so perhaps plants from the southern end of the range
would have a better chance here.) Symplocarpus has such a wide range it
might well be more adaptable, but apparently no one but me wants to grow
it.
Steve
On 4/6/2013 2:23 PM, Ellen Hornig wrote:
Do skunk cabbages (Symplocarpus foetidus) qualify as bulbous? geophytic?
They have thickened rootstocks, anyway - yes?
I ask because fairly near our home is a swamp with thousands of them
blooming now, and I've been surprised at the range of spathe color. The
darkest are almost-solid (subtlely mottled) maroon; the palest are almost
solid yellow-green, with modest purple stippling; and in between there's a
full range from very heavily to lightly mottled and stippled. If I have a
chance, I'm going back with boots and a camera to record some of them.
Of course I've seem Symplocarpus before, but I've never stopped to study a
large colony. The smell is somewhat offputting, but the plants themselves
are entrancing at this season.
Ellen